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Monday, December 20, 2010

Dubow, Martore: 'significant progress during 2010'

The following holiday memo was sent to employees shortly after 1 p.m. ET today; a Gannett Blogger forwarded it to me earlier today.

Craig A. Dubow
Chairman
Chief Executive Officer

Gracia C. Martore
President
Chief Operating Officer

As we celebrate the holiday season and the coming new year with our families and friends, we want to thank each of you for all of your great work and commitment.

We have made significant progress during 2010 as we continue to build on the value we bring to our consumers, business customers and communities. They remain at the heart of everything we do. Our work makes a real difference in people’s lives and your contributions have a lasting impact. You have helped make our company strong.

On behalf of the entire management team, we want to thank you for everything you do for Gannett and our customers every day. We hope you enjoy some well-deserved time with your loved ones. We wish you a very safe and happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in 2011.

15 comments:

"We wish you a very safe and happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in 2011 ..."

Well, what we mean to say is, we look forward to seeing SOME of you in 2011. And when we say, 2011, please do not assume that means for ALL of 2011. Or even most of it ... Anyway, happy holidays all!!!

I can't remember a more meaningless collection of words and sentences from senior corporate executives in all my many years in this business. If you listened closely, you could hear the sound of about 25,000 delete keys being pushed at roughly the same time.

Nice job writing this one Robin! Basically, what they are really saying is "we are going on vacation now until after the new year (yes, for the next 15 days) so keep on working you stiffs as this management team appreciates all the hard labor you are all going to do while we head to our second and third homes...SUCKERS!"

I appreciated the note. As someone who has worked with some of the mentioned senior executives in the past, I can tell you they don't sit around in the office and think of new ways to screw their co-workers. They really are trying to make the company survive. Sorry if you all can't handle or didn't prepare yourself for the reality of a business.

No, 3:13 pm. There will not be a mass layoff 12/24 or 12/27 because no one will be around except Finance people doing period close, and the people needed to get the papers out (and everyone who already used up their vacation time). Wait until 2011.Loved the 2:09 comment also.

The reality of a business? The reality is that the so-called leadership is lacking in so many ways.

This doesn't stop Martore and Dubow (let's give him the backseat where he belongs) from filling their pockets with BONUSES and piles of cash for their retirement accounts while laying off thousands whose annual pay is about what they make in a week.

All they saw of us in 2010, 2009 and 2008 were lists of numbers they could cut so their own checks could be fattened with bonuses and bigger stashes of retirement cash.

Oh Board of Directors do the stockholders and employees a favor: Get some real leadership for this company. We need innovation, not simply buying up half-baked products that the ass-kissing managers can run into the ground.

"All they saw of us in 2010, 2009 and 2008 were lists of numbers..." Yep. "Family?" As soon as I lost my 25-year (!) career replete with accolades, and had a question for HR? Phone calls not returned, e-mail not answered.

Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."